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Colorado animal v. car crashes trending upward

Wildlife/vehicle collisions rise in colder weather, agencies warn

Staff report

Posted:
11/05/2017 09:29:32 PM MST

Cooler weather and shorter days tend to coincide with an increase in animal-vehicle collisions, state agencies warn. They remind drivers to be cautious, particularly on roads known to have high numbers of animals crossing. (Mack Hitch / Courtesy photo)

More than 4,600 deer were killed last year on Colorado highways, continuing a four-year trend in the rise of animal-vehicle collisions (AVCs).

Such accidents can occur at almost any time of day or night, but tend to happen between dusk and dawn, when wildlife are more active and, unfortunately, are more difficult to see.

State agencies — the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and Colorado State Patrol (CSP) — are reminding motorists that with the changing seasons, "Wildlife are on the move!"

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"As days shorten, temperatures drop and snow begins to fall, many wildlife species move from their high elevation summer ranges in the mountains and plateaus and travel to lower elevation winter ranges in the foothills and valleys," said Mark Lawler, CDOT biologist. "The essential habitats for these animals are intersected by Colorado's highways, forcing wildlife to cross roadways in search of food, water, space and shelter."

AVCs can happen year round, according to CDOT, but statistics indicate that the migration of animals to their wintering habitats yield higher numbers of the wildlife-related accidents during the fall and winter.

State agencies track reported collisions with wildlife. The statistics count all types of animals including small and large mammals — from raccoon and skunk to moose and elk. However, the most significant number of AVCs occur with deer.

While the numbers are up statewide, northeast Colorado actually saw a drop in 2016 for the first time in three years for AVCs: 2013 (915), 2014 (1,205), 2015 (1,701), 2016 (1,356). The deer specific AVCs for the region in 2016 totaled 586.

If you're in a crash:

CSP Captain Adrian Driscol offered this advice if a wildlife collision does occur, "Drivers should brake, look, and steer. Brake, slow down and concentrate on keeping control of your vehicle. Look around and be aware of your surroundings, especially other vehicles in front or behind you. Then steer and move your vehicle to a safe position off the road."

The best practice for drivers is to be aware, drive with caution and slow down, especially at night. While most every road in both rural and urban areas will have wildlife attempting to cross the roadway, road kill statistics have pinpointed some highways that are more frequently used as corridors for wildlife on the move.

Driscol added, "If you see one deer or elk, more than likely you can expect others crossing the highway too."

Improving highway safety

To address the growing concern about AVCs on Colorado highways, several state and federal agencies met this past summer at the first-ever Wildlife and Transportation Summit. The purpose of the two-day event was to establish partnerships and develop an action plan to improve highway safety and protect wildlife populations and their movement corridors.

"The summit focused on informing and fostering partnerships with important stakeholders," said Dean Riggs, CPW Deputy Regional Manager. "As we move forward, it's essential to continue educating agencies' staff, regional decision-makers, private stakeholders and the general public on current issues such as animal-vehicle collisions, highway safety, and implementation of highway mitigation features like wildlife fencing, overpasses and underpasses."

Participants of the summit also took part in a field trip to the recently completed Colorado Highway (CO) 9 Wildlife & Safety Improvements project. The project included the installation of two wildlife overpasses, five wildlife underpasses and high wildlife fencing. The project will be used as a potential model for future projects across the state.

"This 11-mile stretch of highway in north-central Colorado has seen an 87 percent decrease in animal-vehicle collisions since the project's two-phased completion," added Riggs. "We are anxious to see how the amount of collisions may change on this corridor as the five year study progresses."

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